Facebook Hides A Basketball Mini-Game Inside Messenger For March Madness
The big news in the sporting world right now is undeniably around March Madness, but that doesn’t mean technology companies aren’t getting in on the fun. Users of the Facebook Messenger platform have discovered a hidden basketball mini-game within the application. According to Android Central, the latest version of Facebook’s Messenger app on iOS and Android allows friends to challenge each other to a game of basketball in an attempt to achieve the highest score.
In accordance with instructions from Fortune, if you’re looking to shoot a few hoops for yourself with a friend inside Facebook Messenger, the process is actually a pretty simple one. You’ll of course first need to make sure that your version of the app is up to date and you can do exactly that through either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. At this point, it’s worth mentioning that the mini-game is currently only playable on iOS and Android devices. Considering the market share of iOS and Android combined, we wouldn’t expect the Windows Phone version of Facebook Messenger to be getting in on the action anytime soon.
When you’ve made sure that your app is up to date, all that’s left to do is send a basketball emoji to any one of your friends through Messenger. Tapping on this ball will load a secret basketball mini-game, allowing you and your friend to compete for a high score.
Here's how you can play Facebook Messenger's hidden basketball game https://t.co/hrYoLfeDK8 pic.twitter.com/ZotvdPQwTb
— Android Central (@androidcentral) March 18, 2016
The basketball game itself is actually a pretty simple one. You’ll find a basketball located at different positions on the lower portion of the screen and from there you’ll have to use a flicking motion to throw the balls into the hoop. The aim of the game is to secure consecutive baskets and ultimately gain a higher score than your Facebook friends. That being said, the game does get a fair bit more difficult when you surpass a score of 10, when the backboard and hoop starts moving across the screen. Whilst the idea of Facebook Messenger’s basketball game may initially sound like something of a simple one, it can quickly become incredibly addictive and swallow up a fair amount of your time.
That being said, Facebook’s decision to throw a basketball themed mini-game into their Messenger platform isn’t an incredibly surprising one, considering they’ve already included similar functionality on the platform in the past. For a good while now, users have been able to play a pretty primitive version of chess with their friends via Messenger, a feature that can be accessed by entering @FBChess into the conversation window.
Whilst Facebook’s current Messenger gaming options may be a little primitive and nothing on the level of other online multiplayer based mobile games, they could very be well a sign of what’s to come for the platform. Facebook has already displayed a great deal of interest in integrating more functionality in their Messenger platform to allow for greater interactivity between friends. Coupled with talk that Facebook Messenger could have its very own app store before long indicates that the platform could become the go-to place for multiplayer mobile gaming. For now, though, users are just enjoying shooting some hoops in Facebook Messenger ahead of all the March Madness action.
[Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images]
